Facing the challenge of reducing nitrate leaching while remaining profitable has spurred Canterbury farmers Grant and Jan Early to take part in the DairyNZ-led Forages for Reduced Nitrate Leaching research programme.

Green Party and Labour Party policymakers want to hit dairy farmers with a trifecta of environmental taxes that could cost an average of $18,000 per year for each farm, and for those farmers that draw water for irrigation the cost would be in excess of $63,000 per year, says DairyNZ chief executive Dr Tim Mackle.